Signal device for automobiles or other vehicles.



s. HATASHITA. A y SIGNAL DEVICE FOR AUTOMOBILE-S 0R OTHER VEHICLESQ A Y APPLICATION msn 11113.22. 1912. 1,172,791.`

'Pafented Feb. 22, 1916.

2 sHEETs-sHEr 2.

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;siiozo iinTAs'HirA, or Dinnorr, MICHIGAN. c

Application filed March .22, 1912. Serial No'. 685,492.

l To aZZ 'whom it may concern Be it known that I, S'Hozo Hummm, a

subject of the Emperor of Japan, residing in V the city of Detroit, county oil/Vayne, and

State oMichigan', have' made a certain new4 and useful Invention in Signal Devices `ior Specicaton of Letters Patent.

Automobiles or other Vehicles, of which the following .is av specification.

. This invention 'relates to signal devices designed to loe-employed. on the rear end of vehicles.

TheobjeCt-Of the invariata is@ a) prima@ a signal device for the rear end of vehiclesiforv Jche pairpose'oiz indicating to other'l vehicles in its rear', the'intended course oftravel or movement ofthe vehicle carrying the signal device. l, A further-object simplify and improve. the construction of i signaling devices ofthe character referred to.

of ythe Finvention is 'to' Other objects of the invention will appear' ulor-e'fllly" hereinafter. i

j The invention consists substantially in the construction, combinatieml'ccation and'relative arrangement 'of l irt: all 'as will be more fully hereinafter set forth, as shown in y the accompanying drawing, and finally pointedout in the appended claims.

Referring to the accompanying drawings,

and to the various'views and reference'signs appearing thereon, Figure l" is a view in elevation showing al construction of signal de-V vices embodying the principles of-my invention. Fig. 2 is a detail view, partly in sideA )elevation and partly in section. showing a construction of control device for the signalf and embodying the principles of'my inven tion of. the control device shown in Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a hrokendetaihview in section on'v the line 4, 4, .Fig.'3, looking'in the direction of the arrows. Fig. 5 is a top plan view of the construction of signal dev ic shown in Fig.` 1. Figi. 6 is' a view in side elevation, yparts broken out, parts broken off and parts in section. Fig. 7 is 'a broken detail view in' section on the line?, 7,.,Fig. v5, looking in the .directio'noi the arrows.

The same part is designated by the same the several views.

. j A frequent` source -offacc'ideilit due to the collision lof automobiles fi's the inability of l .;,thedriver of anfautomobileftolknow what ].the lmovementsare going to be of the car in v tion. Fig.` 3'is a detail view in edge elevaf" reference sign wherever it occurs throughout Siennay nevica 'ron Anroi/ioisiiins encarnan vnii'icnns.

, l PatentedFela- 22i191 advance, or in front. i Itfrequeiitly ensl that a car or automobilewi'shesto. urnleither to the right or to the leftl out rnc'the, 4track, sti-eet or road along whichyit is progressing where. it is being' immediately followedby a' closely adjacent car .at the rear.`

This-is `particularly liable to occur in congested streets where the traflic of vehicles and carriagesis heavy and thevehicles nu- 'merous l It is-,aincng the special..I purposes ofmyV present invention toI provide'av signal'device which is simple in construction'and efiicient j in operation and'vby which, when-l suitably manipulated and controlled,fthe 'driver oiga car is .enabled to inform the driver of a car the. motor car-or automobile, or other vehicle, and to control .the sa me .from the, front end or the drivers-seat of the machine. I also' propose to employ a construction of signal 'device which, when suitablyfmanipulate-d, vwill raise or'display to the view of thedriver :of the car immediately atI the rear, al signal showing whether or not the carcarrying the locate the signal ,device upon lthe rear end of signal device isgoing to stop, or to turn, or

the direction in'which itproposes to pro- Ceed I also proposeto iprovide' a constructionI of signal device .ofthe characterreferred to `which will be effective for use not only in the day time but'also'at night, this being accomplished by employing ythe construction in connection with theordinaryor usual night light or signal' lamp..

- In carrying out my invention I propose to employ ya casing within'which lisvpivotally.

mounted a series of signal plates. 1'I `hese I mount within the casing soas to be capable of independent rocking orswin'gingl move- I ment. Each of these signal plates may corj respond to a particular direction tobe indicated to the driver of the carin the rear. -For instance, onel o'f-these signal plates may indicate ythat the Caron which thedevice is carried" is to turn toward the right;- another'.

lindicating'that it isl the intention to turn toward the left. Another may indicate the yintei'itionto stop,and soon. I alsopropose 110 v'ato independently control these several' signal I I plates.

in' a convenient point at the front of'fthe car' by means of control lever's arrangedin suitable convenient relation to the driver of the car vcarrying the signal device.

I thereforeA propose to employ as many con- 4 trol levers as there are signal plates in the casing, it being understood that the casing responding sleeve 14, and operatin is to be mounted 'upon the rear endet the car to which the signal device is to be apj plied, and aconvenient arrangement is .`to employ, thel .casing containing the signal plates also as a support for the license or number plate for. the car..

In Vthe drawings, reference numeral 10,vv

designates a casin having a chamber within or transversely across which 1s mounted a stud or, rod11, forming a pivotal support.

for a series'of Sle`'ves12, 13, 14. (See Fig. 7). These several sleeves are nested one within the other. The sleeve 14 takes bearing directlyupon the stud or bolt 11,4 while the s eeve 13, telescopes upon. the vsleeve 14,

and t eA sleeve12, telescopes upon the sleeve 13. The sleeves L2, 13, 14, have respectively mounted thereon, and connected thereto to rotate therewith, theoperating pulleys 15,

16, 17. And each sleeve 12, 13, 14, carries a s'gnal plate 18,'19, 20, so as to move or to be rotatively actuated thereby. and therewith. .These several signal plates are normally housed within the casin v10. When their operating wheels 15, 16,I etc., are operated the particular plate jcarried 'bylthe sleeve ssfupon which the operated wheel is mounted,

is rocked or swung out of its housing within the casing and into position to be displaced, asclearly indicated in Fig. 1, where the' signal plate 20, yfor instance, has been elevated or raised by the operation of the cor- 17. The opening in the upper edge'of the casinglO, through which the signal .plates pass'while being raisedinto display position or retracted into housed position is provided with a cover plate 21,'Which is acted upon by a spring tension indicated at 22, so as to yield against the movement of the signalplatesinto theirelevated or displayed rela'- tion, as indicated in Eig. 1, the spring ten' sion'exerted upon the cover plate serving to permit the yielding movement of the cover plate 21, when the display or signal plate is raised into display position and also serving to return or restore the signalplate to its i housed relation'when such restoration is to be made. The operating wheels 15, 16, 17,'

above mentioned are positioned within lthe housing or casing 10, and in the'particular form illustrated, are in the shape of grooved4 pulleys over which respectively operate cords, wires, or other suitable operating means 23, 24, 25. These operating connections extend out through .the casing 10, as

indicated at 26, and. maybe convenientlyV wheel v confined or'carried `Within a suitable tub'e on casing '27 ,which is conveniently led through 'or alo'ng the side ofthe automobile or 'other vehicle to the front end thereof and suitably connected to the o erating or controlling des? viceslocarted wit convenient reach o the4 driver of the vehicle.v yA'simple control con struction. is shown and described, but I wish it to be understood that my invention, as defined in the claims, is not to'belimited or restricted to the 'exact details shown.l The wire, cord or other connections 23, 24, 25, exc tend'into a controlcasing 28,'-within which i's mounteda'pivot rod or stud 29, upon which 1s journaled a corresponding number of' operatin wheels or pulleys 30, 31, 32. The ends o the wires, cords, or other connections 23,-24,' 25, are respectively secured -to the peripheral surfaces ofthe pulleys, 15, 16,17, and 30, 31, 32, after passingpartially around the same as indicated at 33, Fig. 6,' ,and 34,I Fig. 2.v Connected to each ofu the controlling pulleys or members 30, 31, 32, is

an operating handle or lever 35, 36, 37,`or l responding, respectively, to the pulleys 30,

31, 32, ahd the operating cords, Wires, or"

other connections 23, 24, 25. These, operating levers respectively extend through slots or openings .in the case 28, and-into convenient positions to be grasped, manipulated, and operated by the driver of. the automobile or other vehicle. They should also be marked correspondingly to the signal plates 18, 19, 20, in casing 10. Thus where a signal device 'indicating an intendedturn of the plate similarly marked andindicating an in-J'v tended turn toward the right. Similarly another one of the control levers may have the 1 letter L, corresponding with a signal plate left.

' other ofthe control 'levers may :have the letter S. corresponding with a signal plate indicating, an :intention to stop. 1

Of'course, it is obvious that lother signal' 'plates carrying other designating signalsA may be employed with a corresponding` number of operating levers and connections.

It 'will be understood that the several operating levers 35,- 36, 37, areindependentlyoperatable. In Fig. 1, `I have shown the signa-l plate corresponding to.A an intention lto turn :toward the right shown'in elevated 'or raised display position and I have shown 'in the same ligure the corresponding operating lever 37, carrying' the designation R, as displaced into operated position with referencev to the other levers respectively iridicatingan intention; to turn toward the dotted linesv in marked L, and S. have also indicated' Fig 2L the operation" of acontrol lever.l

The operation of the'apparatus is. exceed.

ingly simple and will be readily understood.

Assumingthat the signal plates 18, .19, and 2O areJA within the, housing-or ca'singflO, and in their retracted position, and it is desired to raise or elevate one of them into display position, say, for. instance, the signal plate indicating an intention to turn vtoward the right. Thereupon the operating lever marked R is rocked or'swung' from the position thereof shown in Fig. 2 into the position thereof shown in Figfl. Thls operating lever-being connected to a pulley or sheave 32,- the corresponding cord, wire, or

other connection 23,-for, instance, is wound up upon the pulley v32.` This action or pull being transmitted through the wire, cord or other connection 23, tothe pulley 15, within casing 10, causes said pulleyto be rotatively displaced thereby. causing its sleeve 12, to be Y rotated and thereby causing the corresponding signal display plate to be raised out of the casing -or housing within which it is conf tained and to rock or swing about the axis-r of pivotbolt v11, into elevated or raised posi'- tion, the operating lever R is returned 0r re- 40 storedto its original position, thereby relieving the pull on the corresponding wire, cord, or other connection, and hence permitting the spring of the hinged plate 21, to

,. perform-its function ofreturning or restorrestoring the corresponding operating Wheel ing the raised display plate to its initial housed position, therebyY also returning or 15, 16, or 17, andits operating connections to their normal or initial position.

- It will be observed from the foregoing description that I provide an exceedingly simle ineX ensive si nal mechanism wherein 1 P a the operation of the various signal plates is accomplished independently of the others ple, eompact'apparatusgi ',Where'fit isdesired to employ a -s1'na l and v the 'arr a-.Illgement is vthis-ay mutually coperate lwith -,ea-ch other being mounted upon the same pivotfsupport, time enabling me to-providean exceedingly mechanism, embodying the principles o invention, 'at night, it will be understood' I and asource of light will be positionedinkn mediately-'behind such signal rlates when that the signal plates .will be of tr'ansfriarentl material and preferably of diferentjcolors occupying their raised position thereby' disclosing the corresponding color, and indicating at night the intended direction-of movement of the automobile or other 'vehicle.

Many variations and changes in the details of construction and arrangement will readily occur to -persons skilled in the art and still f all within the spirit and scope vof my invention. v I do not desire, therefore,

to be limited or restricted to the specic details shown and described. But

Having nowvset forth the object and nature of my invention and a construction embodying the principles thereof, what I claim ,as new and useful, and ofgmy own invention,

and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the 1 United States, is:

In a signal device for vehicles, va casingv locatedat the rear end of the vehicle, and having a spring actuated hinged top yor cover, a stud bolt mounted Within said casing, a series of sleeves nested the one insidev Vthe other and journaled upon saidstud bolt Y and each carrying asignal display plate, a 'correspondin series of levers located at the front end 0I the vehicle, connections re. spectively operated by said .levers for independently rotating said sleeves so as to raise their corresponding signal plates out of said casing and against the action of said spring actuated cover, the latter constantly tending to'return or restore said signal display-plate`v into housed position within sai'd casing;

In testimony whereof I havehereunto set my lhand in the presence of the subscribing f witnesses, on this eleventh day of March,

SI-IOZO HATASHITA Witnesses: Y

W. ELRICH, v 4R. B. KANE. l' 

